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SEIA is the solar energy industry’s go-to source for the latest coverage on solar power, including U.S. and international policy, research and polls, business and financing trends, and more. Our staff strives to support the media covering solar energy issues and guide our members on effective media outreach with clear statements, background materials, news and multimedia resources.

SEIA is committed to informing policymakers, the media, and the American public about the benefits of solar energy for today’s communities, our economy, and our country.

Tendril, the Boulder, Colo.-based software startup, rebooted its business last year with a shift to microtargeted energy savings products through its new Energy Services Management platform. Today, the company announced it’s expanding its product line with a customer acquisition and engagement solution for utilities getting into community solar.

IKEA, which had sales of 30 billion euros last year, wants to generate all the energy used in its shops and factories from clean sources by 2020. To that end, it will invest 600 million euros on wind and solar power installations, adding to 1.5 billion invested since 2009. It has already signed up to own and operate 314 wind turbines and has 700,000 solar panels on its roofs.

If you’ve been noticing more solar panels lately, you’re onto something. While only one in 100 houses has them, that’s 46 times as many as a decade ago. Some of that fast growth is due to a federal tax credit that is worth 30 percent of installation costs. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), there were more than 180,000 solar-related residential installations in 2014, and more than 50 percent growth over the year before. In addition, new financing options are making it easier for homeowners to also become solar panel owners.

A solar system is turned on every 2.5 minutes in America. The standardization of solar permitting is poised to be one of the solar industry’s next big breaks, writes Andrew Savage, chief strategy officer of AllEarth Renewables and member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) Board of Directors.

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West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has vetoed legislation, HB 2201, which could have jeopardized the future of rooftop solar in the state by rewriting West Virginia’s net-metering policies. In announcing his decision, the Governor said the bill contained technical errors.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Calling it “unfair to families, businesses and churches,” the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is urging West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to veto HB 2201, which could jeopardize the future of rooftop solar in the state by rewriting West Virginia’s net-metering policies. Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO, said the legislation needs to be revised before becoming law:

A new report from Duke University, The Solar Economy: Widespread Benefits for North Carolina, found that public policies such as North Carolina’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and Investment Tax Credit have made North Carolina first in the south and fourth in the nation for installed solar investment, creating jobs and boosting the economy across the state.

WASHINGTON, DC – According to a new report by The Solar Foundation, Nevada’s solar industry employment grew 146 percent in the past year, allowing it to rise to 7th in number of solar jobs by state and 1st in per-capita solar jobs. Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said that the big jump in employment is the result, in part, of pro-growth policies supported by Senator Harry Reid and Senator Dean Heller. The state added 3,500 solar jobs over the previous year.

Massachusetts' continued commitment to clean, solar energy is paying off, according to a just-released report by The Solar Foundation, which shows the state second only to California in solar jobs. Reacting to the news, Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), said this remarkable progress is a result of several factors.

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At a time when clean energy and water sources are critical to the health of our planet, SunPower and the Surfrider Foundation are jointly empowering U.S. homeowners to create a more sustainable future. Through this new partnership, Surfrider Foundation members can reduce their carbon footprints with solar, while locking in low electricity rates, and protecting oceans, waves and beaches around the world.

Every week, The SEIA Solar Update includes top news stories covering the solar industry, major upcoming events, policy updates, and much more. This newsletter is open to SEIA Members and to the general public.

For the last five months, SunPower has been reselling Stem's behind-the-meter battery systems to commercial customers across the U.S. The companies are not revealing the number of systems they've installed through the partnership, but SunPower's Ivo Steklac said he expects storage to help increase commercial-sector business "rather dramatically" based on early activity.